Managing and tracking inventory in one or more locations, for example, can be time intensive and expensive.
In its simplest form, managing and tracking inventory is a manual task that requires manually entering data into a computer or manually handwriting entries on paper. Manual entries can suffer from inaccuracies and can be inconvenient if the manual entries need to be performed during a procedure or an experiment.
The use of bar codes and bar code readers can eliminate some of the manual aspects of data entry. However, it still can be inconvenient to hold a bar code reader and look for the bar code on an item for scanning, especially during a procedure or an experiment. Further, bar code readers are typically attached to a local computer that is part of a local network that also includes a local server. The local computers for each bar code reader and the local server can be substantial infrastructure expenses. Such infrastructure expenses can increase, especially when tracking and managing are required at more than one location. For example, each location would require its own network infrastructure including its own local computers and local server to manage the local bar code reader network at the respective location (e.g., a hospital, a laboratory, etc.). Hardware and software upgrades in the local computers, the local network, and/or the local server would have to be implemented at each location, effectively multiplying the costs and time expended.